Sunday, June 3, 2012

Questions I'd Love To See Answered

The following is a list of questions for you. If you'd like, answer one, two, ten, or all of them...but I'd love to hear from you.How long have you into history?What got you into it?What was it that clicked inside your head that all of a sudden made you realize you had an obsession with the past?Do you only study a certain era in history or all eras?Do you only study American history or do you study world history?Are you partial to daily life, politics, or wars of the past?Whichever subject you chose (daily life, politics, or war), what interests you most about the chosen subject?How do you do your research? Do you look up information on the internet or stick with history books?If you research on the 'net, do you double or triple check the sources?If by book, do you read multiple books on the same subject? To what extent do you research? If you reenact, why?What makes you want to put on period clothing and subject yourself to ridicule by family and friends and strangers?Is dressing in period clothing a want or a need? How do you feel while wearing accurate period clothing?How long have you been doing living history?To what extent do you portray one from the past: mainstream, progressive, or hardcore? Do you believe in time-travel?Actual time-travel or mind-travel?Have you ever experienced "seeing the elephant" while reenacting, whether soldier or civilian?In other words, have you ever felt you were "there"?How do you feel upon entering a period home?Does the feeling change when entering said home while in period clothing?

I would really love to see you who are reading this answer any or all of the above questions in my comments section. Seriously. I think it would be interesting to note the similarities as well as the differences between all of us history buffs, living historians, or both.
Call it my own anti-scientific experiment.
Anyhow, thank you ahead of time...
Ken

4 comments:

What was it that clicked inside your head that all of a sudden made you realize you had an obsession with the past?For me, I love the American Civil War, so it felt exhilerating and well, it's really hard to describe something so breathtaking.

Do you only study a certain era in history or all eras?Antebellum American South, American Civil War, and Reconstruction... I also like military history.

Do you only study American history or do you study world history?Mostly American, but I study 19th and 20th century European and Middle Eastern history.

Are you partial to daily life, politics, or wars of the past?I'd like to think so.

Whichever subject you chose (daily life, politics, or war), what interests you most about the chosen subject?I love the manuevers and the decisions made about governing and moves that were being taken.

How do you do your research? Do you look up information on the internet or stick with history books?Internet and books.

If you research on the 'net, do you double or triple check the sources?Yep. I'm an English major and work in a library, so I get the spiel of how I should re-check.

If by book, do you read multiple books on the same subject? Yes.

To what extent do you research? I go to reenactments.

If you reenact, why?I would love to just because I'd love to live history.

What makes you want to put on period clothing and subject yourself to ridicule by family and friends and strangers?

Is dressing in period clothing a want or a need? For me, it's a need.

How do you feel while wearing accurate period clothing?

How long have you been doing living history?

To what extent do you portray one from the past: mainstream, progressive, or hardcore?

Do you believe in time-travel?Yes.

Actual time-travel or mind-travel?Have you ever experienced "seeing the elephant" while reenacting, whether soldier or civilian?Hearing my friends, I think it's very possible and really cool.

In other words, have you ever felt you were "there"?Yes.

How do you feel upon entering a period home?Amazed and awestruck.

Does the feeling change when entering said home while in period clothing?

Hi, this is a friend of Stephanie Ann. I created a companion blog to her civilian one about military life in the civil war. I try to help other new reenactors improve their impression and learn about becoming more authentic.

You can follow my blog at http://companyqdispatches.blogspot.com/

How long have you been into history?Forever. Into the Civil War since age of five.

What got you into it?A trip to Gettysburg in 1989.

What was it that clicked inside your head that all of a sudden made you realize you had an obsession with the past?

I don't remember. It's been that long. Maybe going to my first reenactment and thinking it looked like fun?

Do you only study a certain era in history or all eras?

I study all eras but focus mainly on the 1861-1865 period and 1941-1945.

Do you only study American history or do you study world history?

I focus on American history and maybe European history and how it relates to us.

Are you partial to daily life, politics, or wars of the past?

Yes.

Whichever subject you chose (daily life, politics, or war), what interests you most about the chosen subject?

Everything except the politics. I liked politics in the 1800s about as much as I like politics now. (not at all) I'm more concerned with the experience of an individual soldier trying to survive one day to the next, and not the generals who took credit for his victory or defeat, or the rich men that sent him to war to fight the battle for them.

How do you do your research? Do you look up information on the internet or stick with history books?

I like to find primary sources if I can but the internet has made research much easier.

If you research on the 'net, do you double or triple check the sources?

I usually try to and see if there are any inconsistencies.

If by book, do you read multiple books on the same subject?

Yes. as many as I can find.

To what extent do you research?

Until my head is bursting with knowledge. Then and only then do I try to write about it.

If you reenact, why?

First, to get the experience of being in the military. Second, to get the experience of being in another time. (only do this because they won't let me do the real thing)

What makes you want to put on period clothing and subject yourself to ridicule by family and friends and strangers?

I have yet to be ridiculed for what I do. People seem to respect me all the more for it when I tell them why I do it.

Is dressing in period clothing a want or a need?

It borders on an addiction.

How do you feel while wearing accurate period clothing?

Like I am a different person living in a different time.

How long have you been doing living history?

One year.

To what extent do you portray one from the past: mainstream, progressive, or hardcore?

I don't know.

Do you believe in time-travel?

This is like a cheap form of time travel.

Actual time-travel or mind-travel?

It would be cool to see how different the past is from what we today think it is. But meddling with the space-time continuum could prove disastrous.

Have you ever experienced "seeing the elephant" while reenacting, whether soldier or civilian?In other words, have you ever felt you were "there"?

All the time. Being caught in the pouring rain outside a 1940s swing dance held inside an airplane hangar, asking the uniformed MPs if I can get in last weekend is what made it for me. It felt like I was in a movie.

How do you feel upon entering a period home?

Like it's still being lived in and not empty.

Does the feeling change when entering said home while in period clothing?

About Me

My wife and I and members of our family practice living history and portray citizens during the era of the American Revolution (1770s) and Civil War (1860s). You'll find us very often at mid-18th or 19th century reenactments doing our best to replicate the eras as accurately as we can in clothing, manners, speech, and other ways in order to bring the past to life.
I believe knowledge has to be the top priority in living history; knowing about the time period you are presenting - absolutely knowing - can make all the difference in how serious you are being taken.
Too many focus solely on clothing...but what I am attempting in this Passion for the Past blog is to help living historians and general history fans to look beyond the obvious - to study life as once lived.
Yes, clothing is important, but it only tells a small part of the story. To give a more complete picture one needs to look at the 18th or 19th century world around them - to put themselves in that world - and then they will be able to develop more fully a presentation of greater interest for not only the general public, but for themselves as well.
I hope you like it.